Anora (2024)
Anora follows a witty and sassy sex worker from Brooklyn, who ends up starring in (and being the victim of) her own fairy tale when she meets the prince of her dreams—a spoiled 20-year-old rich kid, son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
Directed by American filmmaker Sean Baker, this film won the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and premiered in Athens earlier this month during a special screening at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall, serving as the opening film for the Athens International Film Festival.
Director: Sean Baker
Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov
Language: English, Russian, Armenian
IMDB rating: 8.2/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Elli cinema, Cinobo Opera, Greek Film Archive, Mikrokosmos, Athinaion, Cinemax (Nirvana, Kifissia, Aello, Nana), Aigli 3D digital, Village cinemas (The Mall, Rentis, Pangrati), Mpomponiera digital cinema, Tria Asteria cinema, Sporting digital cinema, Foivos digital cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options Cinemas (Ilion, Glyfada), Municipal cinema Cineac
Dahomey (2024)
Dahomey explores the repatriation of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey, which have been held in Paris for over a century, back to their place of origin in present-day Benin (specifically, to the city of Cotonou). Grand Prix-awarded French director Mati Diop artistically voices the demands of a new generation.
What could evoke a more immediate association than the plundering of the Parthenon Marbles and the long-standing efforts of Greeks (and others) to have these artifacts returned to our country?
The film had its world premiere in the main competition at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear. Dahomey is also Senegal’s entry for the 97th Academy Awards, competing in the Best International Feature Film section.
Director: Mati Diop
Cast: N/A
Language: French (screened with Greek subtitles)
IMDB rating: 6.8/10
Production countries: France, Senegal, Benin
Where to watch: Greek Film Archive, Galaxias cinema, Athina cinema, Diana cinema, Sporting digital cinema
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
The sequel to the 2021 film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Venom: The Last Dance is the third and final installment of the Venom trilogy. Featuring Tom Hardy as Venom, the film follows Eddie and Venom as they go on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo is forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on their last dance.
Director: Kelly Marcel
Cast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu
Language: English
IMDB rating: 6.3/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Athinaion, Aigli 3D digital, Cine Pallini, Village cinemas (The Mall, Rentis, Pangrati), Cinemax (Aello, Nana), Sporting digital cinema, Foivos digital cinema, WestCity cinemas, Options Cinemas (Ilion, Glyfada), Anoixi art cinema, Lampros Konstantaras movie theater, Arian cinema, Sissy digital cinema, Tria asteria 3D digital
In Re-Release
Samsara (2011)
Completed over five years in 25 countries, Ron Fricke’s non-narrative documentary Samsara transports viewers to a diverse array of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke
IMDB rating: 8.4/10
Production country: United States
Where to watch: Newman cinema (previously Andora)
Birdcage Inn (1998)
Another sex worker is the central character in the third film by South Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk, which is being screened for the first time in Greece—coincidentally on the same day as the premiere of Anora. The circumstances in Birdcage Inn are vastly different, with the protagonist, Jin-a, struggling to make ends meet in a highly hostile environment within a decaying coastal city, where she resides in a “family hotel.”
Director:Kim Ki-duk
Cast: Lee Ji-eun, Lee Hae-eun, Ahn Jae-mo
Language: Korean (screened with Greek subs)
IMDB rating: 6.3/10
Production country: South Korea
Where to watch: Athenee cinema
